Pol Prods DOT To Pave Part Of Paerdegat Ave. North

By Dara Mormile

By Dara Mormile

Looking south, sidewalk abruptly ends before unpaved patch of Paerdegat Ave. North continues to Avenue J. Charles RogersAfter learning from a constituent about a patch of Paerdegat Avenue North that has been a community eyesore for years, Assemblyman Alan Maisel has called for the 300-foot strip to be paved by the city's Department of Transportation.

In fact, the north side of Paerdegat Avenue North, which runs from Flatlands Avenue to Seaview Avenue, has never been paved. But residents at a recent Friends United Block Association meeting brought the matter to Alan Maisel's attention, including a photograph of the dirt strip - a few hundred feet north of Avenue J - telling him it needs immediate rehabilitation.

"The street has no sidewalk," said Maisel, who has asked the DOT to evaluate the street. "This avenue has been an eyesore for as long as I can remember and it's long past due that one of Canarsie's gateway streets be improved."

According to District Manager 18 Dorothy Turano, upgrades to all of Paerdegat Avenue North have been in the capital budget for years but, she said, "It's not a high priority for the DOT and it hasn't been at the top of our request list since other streets need more attention."

"I don't care about the whole street," Maisel told the Courier. "DOT representatives contacted me on it, but I also want to know if homeowners' property will have to be reassessed if sidewalks are constructed."

DOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan responded to Maisel in a letter, which read in part, "Our Brooklyn Borough Commissioner will work with our Sidewalk Management Division to look into your request and determine the appropriate course of action. He will notify you by mid-January."

A DOT spokesperson, who told the Courier a study to evaluate the site would take place, and noted that any subsequent sidewalk repairs near existing homes, including damages, would be the responsibility of the property owner.